letton



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T. P. LET TON FIRE ESGAPE.

No. 294,887. Patented Mar. 11 1884.

1 WITNESSES: A INVENTOR:

M 1 Q/KJW BY- ATTORNEYS.

llarrnn rarns A T FICEQ THEODORE P. LE'ITON, OE PARSONS, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND EMMA M. CURTIS, OF SAME PLACE.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 294,887, dated March 11,1884.

Application filed July 17, 1883.

T aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEODORE PrrrLLIPs LETTON, of Parsons, in the county of Labette and State of Kansas, have invented anew and Improved Fire-Escape, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes; and it consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the parts, as

to hereinafter more fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate cor- I 5 sponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved fire-escape as extended for use. Figs. 2 and 3 represent details of the construction. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the said fire-escape folded down on the truck; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a section of the extension frame and ladder on an enlarged scale.

On a truck having a bed or platform, a 1), extending over the wheels 0, and being depressed between the wheels at d, I arrange an upright supporting-frame, e, for the extension device, said frame being substantially stayed by the front braces, f, and the hind braces, g, suitably connected to it and to the truck-platform. To this frame I connect at each side and near the upper end alazytongs extensionframe, 71, by one of the bars '6 of a joint, said bar being pivoted to said frame at j. The other bar, is, of said joint has a bar, i, of another joint connected to it and extending downward over the drum 1 of a Windlass, to which it is connected by chain m or a wire rope, and said bar It has a frictionrroller, a, at its joint with said bar e', that is to roll along brace g for support. These two extension-framesare connected together by rods 0, forming the pivots of each joint of the said frames. To each alternate connecting pivot-rod 0, a short ladder, 1), is connected at its upper end, the lower end of the lowest ladder resting on the drum Z, and the lower ends of the rest of the ladders resting on the next ladder below. The windlass-drum lis geared with a hand crank-shaft, g, by which it will be seen the extensionframes will be projected upward, as repre- (No model.)

sented in Fig. 1, when the crank is turned, so as to wind the chains upon the drum, and by unwinding said chains the frames andladders will be lowered and folded down on the truck,

as representedinFigA. If necessary, another 5 5 chain, 5, may be connected to the drum and to the lowermost rod, 0, so as to' wind on the drum when chains on unwind to pull the ladder down.

For substantial lateral support to the exten- 6o sion-frames, I pivot the bars 2' to the frame 6, between disks t, firmly attached to said frame, and I arrange the stops at between said disks, to arrest the frames when elevated to the desired extent, and for bearings wherein the strain of the chains of the windlass will be resisted, so that the Windlass may be strained up and made fast to bind said bars 1' firmly between said bearings, to stay the frames rigidly in their working position.

To the upper rod, 0, I connect a pulley-block,

1;, having a hoist-rope, w, fitted in it to raise and lower a basket or crib, so, when it may be preferred to employ that means of escape for persons or for letting down goods. 7 5

To the part (I of the platform I attach braces y, to stay it laterally, said braces being de-"' tachablc, to be removed when the truck is shifted, and to the ends I pivot chocks zto be swung down on the ground to stay the truck against rolling on the wheels when the machine is in use, as shown by dotted line m, Fig. 4.

I propose in practice to construct the truck with side rails, 22, to the part a of the bed, 8 5 whereon the extension device may rest when folded down, to maintain a space below, in which common fire -ladders c and hooks d may be carried for use.

' Having thus described my invention, what I 0 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the lazy-tongs extension-frames h, connected together by the j oint-rods 0, the ladders p, 5 hinged at their upper ends to the alternate joint-rods 0, and overlapping and resting against each other at their lower ends, windlass Z, and frame 6, having the disks t, of the joint-bars t, pivoted to said disks, joint-bars roo 13 7;, cords m, braces r and rollers 11, riding on said braces, substantially as shown and described.

23. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the lazy-tongs extension-frames 71, ladders j),

jointed thereto at their upper ends, frame 0, braces r jointed bars '2' Hr, rollers 11, and windlass Z, having the ropes m, 01' a truck having a platform, a I), provided with side rails, b, and extending over its wheels, and depressed at d j between the Wheels, and detachable braces y, i substantially as shown and described. I 

